The Portland daily press., 1887-10-17
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
THE DOOMED nocrn1Nr-

AT the Congress Square church yesterday
morning the pastor, Rev. Henry Blanchard,
preached sermon ON "The Doomed Doc
Urine and the American Board of Foreign
Missions, taking as his text the words from
Acts V, So: For if this counsel or this work
be OF men, it will come TO nought"
Mr.. Blanchard began by saying 81 believe
that the doctrine of endless punishment was
born in the brains of men, and has not come
from God. believe, therefore, that it will
come to nought. Let us, then, this morning
consider the theme, The Doomed Doctrine
and see the fact that the recent meetings of
the American Board of Foreign Missions in
the city of Springfield, Mass, reveal the
forces which are at work to destroy the doc
trine of endless punishment. For this board
l have great respect. For the Congregation
alist body, one of whose associations it is,
have filial regard. l am one Of its grand.
sons l believe that the action of the ma
jority is consistent with its creed and that it
is impeled by profound feeling of duty"
Mr. Blanchard then gave brief account
OF the history of the Board, and eulogized
the conservation and generosity of its found
ers and supporters, and the services of its
! noble missionaries.
He then proceeded to show how the de-
| bates revealed the forces at work which
would finally, in his judgment, destroy the
dogma of endless woe. In this connection,
he asked how could men believing that there
is no chance for repentance after death con-
sent to send men who held this doctrine as
an hypothesis. Even an hypoth esis will
color opinion and influence action. The con-
nor fv o,,lx-
action. Accepting the creed, they must OPP
pose the new departure. He honored these
men for their courage and zeal and consist
ency With the liberal party he was, of
course, in sympathy. But the question of
| liberty Of thought aods not before the meeting.
The Board does not exist to debate theoogi-
cal questions, but to send out men who accept
the doctrines upon which the Board was
| founded.
The liberals may well rejoice in their
prominent men-in ex-President Porter and
President Timothy Dwight, and Prof Geo.
I. Fisher, and many others. They may re-
Jolce in the vote; one third of the number
was on their side. They may well congratu-
late themselves that utterances like those of
DR.. Geo. L.. Walker, conservative as he is,
VIII fortify the advocacy of their opinions.
But, as an impartial student, Mr. Blanchard
can see no ground of complaint that the ma
jority used their power.
There is thus revealed the great power at
work to undermine the old dogma of endless
woe. The liberals at Springfield are not
Uniyersalists. Both parties believe in end
less punishment The one party saws all
probation ends at death. The other declares
that there Is probation, for some, after death.
What has produced this demand for liber-
ty to hold the new departure" doctrine? |
The combined influences of history, science,
pnlloSopny, common sense and the deathleSs |
longlngs OF the human heart. These have |
m ha io,,t a
1t was literal fire and election-then, free |
choice and fires of remorse-now it is the fix |
edness OF character, so that the old dogma in |
its new form. would hardly be recognized by |
have produced these changes will ultimately |
destroy the dogma. Looking beneath the |
words OF the liberals we can easily see what |
power these forces have. The scholarship |
is largely on the side of the Liberals That |
scholarship is the result of the new science |
and philosophy. l
Mr.. Blanchard then proceeded to speak in |
detail OF the great changes wrought in theo- |
logical systems by the new opinions concern |
ing the Pagan origin of the doctrine of end |
less punishment the age of the world, the |
time man has been upon the planet the des- |
tructlon OF the material body, the power of |
heredity, the origin of the Scriptures, the |
value Of other religions and the greatness of |
other leaders than Hebrew prophets and the |
Christ. With science works philosophy. |
Everywhere the materialist philosophy |
yields to the spiritualistic; everywhere pes
slmlsm gives way to optimism One of the /
signs OF the times is the displacement of the |
doctrine of endless punishment by the doc
trlne Of annihilation of the wicked called
Condltlonal Immortality" DR.. Lyman Abb
bot is witness to this.
Meanwhile, the common sense of the COM
mon people is at work. 1t asks, "What good
VIII endless punishment do? How can a
Heavenly Father punish forever?" Silently,
ofttimes, the work goes on, and the doctrine |
of endless punishment fades and dies.
Mr.. Blanchard gave illustrations by refer
ring to what members of other churches say
10 members OF Universalist churches, and to |
the fraternal treatment which Universalst |
clergymen receive, instancing the experience
of DR.. Bodies in Salem and Rev. Mr. Green |
in Minnesota. DIR. Joseph Parker said in |
fremont Temple that he knew of no promi- |
neHt Congregationalistcl ergymen in England |
who pl cached the doctrine of endless woe. |
The influence of Frederick Denison Maurice |
and the books of Canon Farrar are working |
to bring the doctrine to its doom. With these |
work the deathless longings of the human |
heart: 1t cries out for explanation of the |
meaning of life 1t rejects, as blasphemous, |
doctrine which darkens the character of |
God. 1t believes in progress. 1t will not ac- |
cept even the doctrine of conditional immor- !
tally. 1t has all the great poets-high proph- |
cts of God-on its side. 1t will not believe in /
endless evil. and endless alienation from God, |
and endless woe.
In closing, Mr.. Blanchard called upon his
fellow believers to study anew the grounds |
of their glorious faith and to live worthy of |
1t. He thanked God for it with deepening |
conviction, and reverence, and JOY He loved |
all his brethren who could not hold his faith |
but as he looked out upon space, and thought |
OF the old dogma with the awful amending |
universe tragedy, he prayed God, as he saw
the glory nj redeemed universe, far off, at |
last, to give power to preachers to show that |
GOD power and wisdom and love, and |
Christ's life and death and teachings will |
hnally bring all men to obedience and eternal |
life.
Before reading the Scripture lesson. Mr..
Blanchard read from Rev. DIR. Todd's speech
at Springfield, who said: 81 know of minis
Cers VINO nave been appr0ved-are approved |
contlnually-by Congregatlonalist councils,
who believe II. ~Uniyersalism, -broad, fiat, |
square, eternal" He announced that he |
would preach next Sunday on Satan and |
Science"
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
Yesterday was given to the Sunday school |
and the pastor arranged all the services with |
this in view. The classes occupied the body |
OF the house and the scholars had large |
part in the services and helped to make them |
very interesting DR.. Small took for his |
text the words, "And when he had spent all, |
he began to be in want" After placing the |
scene before his hearers, the speaker told |
first of the precious legacy God had given to
his children: First, the gift of capacity
the power to acquire all good things second, |
an infallible guide to direct them in the best |
way; third, an unseen teacher to explain
the book that he has given; fourth, time to
do all good things The speaker spoke, sec
ondly, of the spendthrifts of this legacy: |
First, they spend time foolishly; second, |
some throw away the teachings of the Holy |
Spirit, and so lose their way to final safety: |
third, others throw away all the precious
opportunities of life. The third picture is of |
great famine. After spiritual thrift is sure
to be spiritual famine. All good things.
powers, opportunities, spiritual impress
sions, all these being foolishly thrown away, |